Shopping. Celebrating. Bowling. Playing.

We took a road trip to Louisville this past weekend, mostly to visit family. Greg did meet with some contractors at our southern Indiana properties and we visited with a couple of college friends.

I considered it my birthday weekend, and I spent (more than) the Kohl's gift card my grandpa gave me for turning 31. And I stocked up on scrapbooking supplies at Archiver's. Mom and I even made an us-only trip on Saturday night (post-Derby!) to Target.

But the best part of it being my birthday weekend was this cake, courtesy my 6-year-old niece Milla and almost-3-year-old daughter Cate.

Seriously. That's a layer of white icing, another layer of pink icing, an entire bottle (and I believe a few more!) sprinkles, all 48 candles from the box, and all those plastics toys. Yes, we took the toys off before we lit the 31 required candles!

Cate was apparently too busy to join in the cousins picture. Oh, yes, she found plenty of ways to keep busy ...

... driving.
... bowling.
... jumping.
__________
Teaching Cate to bowl was a fun experience. We went to Incredible Dave's, where the bowling alley totally exceeded our expectations. Right before we started, my brother and I wondered if we should have asked for bumpers for the girls. Well, turns out the guy (who we didn't think was the sharpest tool in the shed ...) programmed our lanes so the bumpers would come up in the gutters when it was Cate or Milla's turn. They really enjoyed it, as did the adults, who at times could have used the bumpers!

Between turns, Milla liked to take a break from bowling and hold her cousin ...

Jaxson, who wasn't bowling, enjoyed his snacks ...

And Cate just took it all in ...